Air guiding device

ABSTRACT

An air guiding device includes a side plate defining an opening. Two shielding plates are slidably attached to the side plate and respectively located beside opposite ends of the opening to adjustably cover the opening.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an air guiding device.

2. Description of Related Art

Some electronic devices, such as expansion cards mounted in a computeror a server, are generally cooled by system fans mainly because it iscostly to specially configure a heat dissipating device for theexpansion cards, which may result in poorly cooled cards leading to poorperformance and shortened life spans of the cards.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood withreference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings arenot necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed uponclearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments.Moreover, in the drawings, all the views are schematic, and likereference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the severalviews.

FIG. 1 is an exploded and isometric view of an exemplary embodiment ofan air guiding device, wherein the air guiding device includes twoshielding plates.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a circled portion II of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of one of the shielding plates of FIG. 1, butviewed from another perspective.

FIG. 4 is an assembled and isometric view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are similar to FIG. 4, but showing the air guidingdevice in different states.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosure, including the accompanying drawings, is illustrated byway of example and not by way of limitation. It should be noted thatreferences to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are notnecessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at leastone.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, an exemplary embodiment of an air guidingdevice 10 is installed in a computer or a server and a number ofelectronic devices 30 with different sizes mounted beside the airguiding device 10. The electronic device 30 may be one of a number ofexpansion cards 30 with different lengths. The air guiding device 10includes a long top plate 13, two side plates 11 perpendicularlyextending down from opposite sides of the top plate 13, and twoshielding plates 20. Air flows from one end of the air guiding device 10to the other end of the air guiding device 10.

A recess 12 is longitudinally defined in the lower portion of the sideplate 11 beside the expansion cards and extends through an end of theside plate 11. The recess 12 is bounded by a bottom wall 121 and twoopposite sidewalls 122 perpendicular to the bottom wall 121. A pair ofL-shaped slide rails 14 opposite to each other extends respectively fromthe sidewalls 122. A rectangular opening 15 is defined in the middle ofthe bottom wall 121, along the airflow path of the air guiding device10. Two rows of latching slots 162 are defined in the bottom wall 121,located beside opposite ends of the opening 15 respectively. Eachlatching slot 162 is V-shaped in cross-section.

Referring to FIG. 3, each shielding plate 20 is rectangular. A hole 21is defined in a first end of the shielding plate 20. A resilient hook 22extends from an end of the hole 21 and is received in the hole 21. Thehook 22 includes a V-shaped latching portion 222 formed at a distal endthereof. An operation bar 23 protrudes from the outer side of theshielding plate 20 and is located at a second end of the shielding plate20.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, in assembly, the shielding plates 20 areslidably attached to the side plate 11 to adjustably cover the opening15, with the hooks 22 engaging in the latching slots 162 and side edgesof the shielding plates 20 slidably blocked by the slide rails 14.

In use, when an expansion card 30 is mounted in the computer or server,the two shielding plates 20 are slid until the opening 15 is about thesame length as the mounted expansion card 30, by operating the operationbars 23.

Referring to FIG. 6, when there is no expansion card 30 to be cooled,the two shielding plates 20 are slid towards each other to completelycover the opening 15.

When the shielding plates 20 are slid to predetermined positions forallowing heat generated by the expansion card 30 to enter the opening15, the latching portions 222 engage in the corresponding latching slots162 to keep the shielding plates 20 in a desired position.

In other embodiments, the side plate 11 may define an openingperpendicular to the airflow of the air guiding device 10 to coolelectronic devices 30 with different height.

Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the embodimentshave been set forth in the foregoing description, together with detailsof the structure and the functions of the embodiments, the disclosure isillustrative only, and changes may be made in details, especially inmatters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principlesof the embodiments to the full extent indicated by the broad generalmeaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

1. An air guiding device comprising: a side plate defining an opening;and two shielding plates slidably attached to the side plate andrespectively located beside opposite ends of the opening to adjustablycover the opening.
 2. The air guiding device of claim 1, wherein theopening is rectangular, two opposite L-shaped slide rails are formed onthe slide plate beside opposite sides of the opening respectively, theshielding plates are slidably sandwiched between the slide rails.
 3. Theair guiding device of claim 2, wherein two rows of latching slots aredefined in the side plate beside two opposite ends of the openingcorresponding to the two shielding plates, each shielding platecomprises a hook extending therefrom to selectively engage in one of thelatching slots.
 4. The air guiding device of claim 3, wherein eachlatching slot V-shaped in cross-section, each hook comprises a V-shapedlatching portion formed at a distal end thereof to engage in thelatching slot.
 5. The air guiding device of claim 1, wherein anoperation bar is formed on an outer side of each shielding plate.
 6. Theair guiding device of claim 1, wherein an electronic device is mountedbeside the air guiding device, heat generated by the electronic deviceenters the opening.
 7. An air guiding device comprising: a side platedefining an opening; and a shielding plate slidably attached to the sideplate to adjustably cover the opening.
 8. The air guiding device ofclaim 7, wherein the opening is rectangular, two opposite L-shaped sliderails are formed on the slide plate beside opposite sides of the openingrespectively, the shielding plate is slidably sandwiched between theslide rails and located beside one end of the opening.
 9. The airguiding device of claim 8, wherein a row of latching slots is defined inthe side plate beside the opening, the shielding plate comprises a hookextending therefrom to selectively engage in one of the latching slots.10. The air guiding device of claim 9, wherein each latching slot isV-shaped in cross-section, the hook comprises a V-shaped latchingportion formed at a distal end thereof to engage in the latching slot.11. The air guiding device of claim 7, wherein an operation bar isformed on an outer side of the shielding plate.
 12. The air guidingdevice of claim 7, wherein an electronic device is mounted beside theair guiding device, heat generated by the electronic device enters theopening.